Our local church, Southside United Methodist Church, was born on Easter Sunday, 1950. It was on that day that the men and women, boys and girls of Southside assembled together as an official congregation of the Methodist Church to lift their hearts, minds, and voices in worship to God for his grace and goodness in bringing them together. It was also an opportunity for them to commit themselves to the service of Christ and his kingdom.

The men’s ministry, interestingly, was actually born the day before.It was on that preceding day, Holy Saturday, that the men of Southside decided to meet together to get everything ready for the next day’s events. These faithful, servant-hearted brothers also thought that it would be a good idea to meet a few hours early for the purpose of cooking breakfast and then enjoying it and fellowship together. Southside men have been meeting every Holy Saturday since then for our annual “Men’s Easter Breakfast.”I share this bit of history to communicate that this precious tradition of Southside men represents how long Southside’s commitment to men has existed. It also shows how far back our men’s commitment to Christ and his local church, Southside UMC, actually goes.Much of today’s literature that’s devoted to men’s ministry is saturated with tales of woe regarding the absence of men in the church at large. Men, they tell us, have been alienated from feeling welcome or comfortable in church settings for a variety of reasons. Perhaps there’s some truth to that in some churches. I have served in some settings where the evidence did appear to point in that direction.Yet Southside has been blessed by the men (and, of course, the women) who have stepped up in countless ways over the years to be used by God in the building up of his body. From administrative leadership to teaching Sunday school classes to serving the community, Southside men have a rich history of following Christ, which has left an enduring legacy to the Southside men of today.I give thanks for those men of God who have gone before us. May the men of Southside in each and every generation faithfully pursue our United Methodist Church’s mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.Soli Deo Gloria, Dale Tedder (April 14, 2010)